How I went from 15mg nicotine to zero nicotine in three days

[yzer]

I broke my leg almost three weeks ago. I didn’t want to keep all of my vaping paraphernalia at the hospital so I asked for nicotine patches instead, which they provided. It took me quite a while to convince the doctor that I wasn’t a smoker anymore, but a vaper who used nicotine. I figured the 14mg patch would be a good match for the 30mg of nicotine I vaped each day and was correct. I took the patch off before sleeping each night.


Surgery followed. I got a rod put inside my shin (right leg tib/fib rodded). A day later I was sent home. I had two orthopedic surgeons who both recommended that I stop using nicotine altogether while my leg was healing. I didn't have any nicotine patches for use at home. I timidly vaped about .5 ml of my DIY 15mg liquid during the first three days at home then went off the nicotine completely. Even with the pain meds it was three days at home before I could handle sitting in a wheelchair long enough to mix a simple batch of zero nic liquid.


So here I am. I've been zero nic for two weeks now. vaping about 1-2 ml of unflavored per day. I’m wearing my second cast and the orthopedist says the bones are healing fast for a 60 year-old. LOL, those are purple markings on my right knee left by the surgeon, not veins.


Not the best way to go to zero nic, IMHO.

 

[EvilZoe]

Owwwwwch!!

 

[yzer]

Doesn't hurt much now. I'm only using pain med at night. The break itself and the day after surgery were real bears, though.

 

[OlDogNewTricks]

Whew, that's rough. You didn't say that you were having issues without nicotine, so that's a bright light. Good luck and stay safe!

 

[yzer]

I didn't notice much in the way of withdrawal symptoms after I stopped use of nicotine in the e-liquid. I had a much harder time with withdrawal symptoms when I made the transition from cigarettes to vaping 18 months ago.

I still get urges to vape but using the zero nicotine liquid seems to satisfy the need most of the time.

The biggest problem I'm having with zero nicotine is a loss of memory function and a reduction in the ability to concentrate on focused tasks. I had the same problem after I quit smoking cold turkey for several weeks. I did that several times before I finally quit with vaping. Before I discovered vaping I would eventually return to smoking after the problems continued for several weeks.

It's possible that I could return to vaping nicotine once the leg heals up enough to bear weight again. That would be several weeks down the road. Then again, I may not go back to nicotine ever again. Time will tell.

 

[illitirit]

i feel your pain. I broke my arm a few years ago. Thankfully i didnt need surgery but my uncle, who is a doctor basically put my arm in his lap and forced my bone back together...then wrapped me up good lol. I still remember that pain as something i never want to feel again.

Unfortunately i was young when this happened and i was really into basketball during those years. While i was still healing i would still play basketball and this caused my arm to heal in a funny way. Now, i cant fully rotate my arm and my uncle told me when im older, like 40-50 or possibly even younger, I will have really bad pains in my arm.

Stay off your leg and vape all you want

 

[FlamingoTutu]

Wow, not fun. Glad you found a workable solution. I have ADHD so can relate to the concentration/nicotine problems. Stay tough and recover fast.

 

[WillyZee]

nice to see you on the road to recovery

 

[DC2]

What are your current thoughts on the addictive nature of nicotine?

 

[Ryedan]

What are your current thoughts on the addictive nature of nicotine?

I'm also curious about this.

 

[Anjaffm]

I am so sorry to hear about your accident, and I wish you a speedy recovery!

 

[mattiem]

Ouch !!!!! I really don't recommend this as a good way to lower ones nicotine consumption.

Glad to hear that the doc is pleased with the way you are healing. Get well soon now, you hear.

 

[gofastman]

how 'bout trying a 6mg nic liquid if the craving returns?

 

[Bob Chill]

I'm interested in the withdrawal myself. I've gone without vaping for the first half of the day several times recently. It wasn't that bad. Felt similar to not drinking coffee in the morning. Just a little foggy and not as alert but not really uncomfortable.

I vape 12mg or less and seems to be my sweet spot. I've been thinking about dropping to 8 for my rda. I can't chain vape 12mg with my rda because it's too efficient and gives me too much. The problem is the taste is so good it's hard to stop sometimes....lol

 

[Cuando]

I'm interested in the withdrawal myself. I've gone without vaping for the first half of the day several times recently. It wasn't that bad. Felt similar to not drinking coffee in the morning. Just a little foggy and not as alert but not really uncomfortable.

I vape 12mg or less and seems to be my sweet spot. I've been thinking about dropping to 8 for my rda. I can't chain vape 12mg with my rda because it's too efficient and gives me too much. The problem is the taste is so good it's hard to stop sometimes....lol

Dripping took me from a happy 12mg vaper to a 4mg vaper quickly. I do still vape 6mg, but all my DIY is at or below 4mg, and so far it's been smooth sailing. I did it for the same reasons, really, chain vaping at home 12mg just proved too much. I am hoping to be down to 0mg by the end of the year. I don't know if I'll ever stop vaping entirely, as I do enjoy the ritual, but who knows. I think getting off nic altogether is a good goal to have.

 

[MadOzodi]

Wow, what a coincidence. I'm ALL too familiar with your plight, yzer!

I broke my leg at the beginning of June (right spiral tib/fib fracture fixed with full length rod/nail & 3 screws). I was able to not smoke/vape for at least a month; prior to the accident, I was switching back and forth. After that month or so, I had maybe a handful of analogs, but then I was able to move to vaping exclusively.

Because I'm a glutton for punishment and in denial about being an "adrenaline junky", I re-broke my right tibia at the beginning of this month, 10/6. This time, a tibial plateau fracture...been bed ridden for the past 2 1/2 weeks to allow the swelling to go down before my surgery tomorrow; the rod/nail & 3 screws need to be removed so that there's space for a new plate and screws.

I dunno how, but I've been nicotine free since the 6th. I miss vaping something fierce but have managed not to do it at all; I think the side effects of the blood thinner I've had to self-inject daily are helping.

I'mma send you a PM

But I'm also sending good healing vibes to ya!

 

[cocacola31173]

I could probably go 0 nic but that zero throat hit don't work for me. Im down to 6 mg nic most of the time so Im fine with that.

 

[Recycled Roadkill]

I'm planning to go 0 nic at some point in my future but I refuse to break a leg to do it.

All kidding aside, I AM sorry to read of your pain and discomfort and hope you have a quick recovery from both.

 

[patkin]

Thanks for sharing. You give all of us wanting to kick the nic hope. Hope you mend quickly and sorry to see what you've gone through.

 

[yzer]

What are your current thoughts on the addictive nature of nicotine?

Nicotine is addictive. For me, deprivation withdrawal symptoms from refined nicotine alone is far less serious than withdrawal symptoms from tobacco smoke. Nicotine combined with it's related compounds in tobacco smoke is much more addictive than refined nicotine alone. I get over the worst from a caffeine withdrawal in about 24 hours, the worst from refined nicotine withdrawal in 72 hours and the worst from whole tobacco smoke withdrawal in about a week.

After no nicotine for a month I don't have physical withdrawal symptoms but I begin to miss miss the way my mind worked with nicotine. That's why there is a strong possibility that I may go back to using nicotine e-liquid after my leg heals. I don't know if this reason to return to nicotine use can be considered addiction or not.